Chapter 13 Musty Smelling Cell
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Ugh… Ah! That hurts…” Ayumu groaned, cradling the side of his head.
He must’ve hit it hard when he was pushed. A bump had already begun to form. Wincing, he rubbed the tender spot and scanned his surroundings.
The room was dim, lit only by a flickering torch far beyond the bars. Cold stone spread beneath him, rough against his skin. Thick iron bars formed the front of the cell, and the stale, musty air carried the scent of dampness and rot. Moss clung to the corners, feeding off the gloom.
”Ah, damn it! What the hell…” he muttered, struggling to sit up.
A weight dragged at his leg. His eyes widened when he realized a rusted iron ball was chained to his ankle.
”They must’ve put this on while I was unconscious…” he murmured, the chain rattling as he shifted slightly.
There were no windows. No light but the faint glow beyond the bars. No exit. Just that one open side sealed by cold iron. The chain at his foot made movement difficult. Escape? Impossible.
With little choice and nowhere to go, he lay back against the stone floor. It wasn’t comfortable—not in the slightest—but if he didn’t rest now, he might not get another chance.
He had just begun to drift into a shallow sleep when—
CLANG!
The abrupt slam of a door echoed down the corridor, jolting him awake.
”To be able to sleep in such a situation—tch! As expected, commoner thieves are thick-skinned!” a voice sneered, sharp and scornful.
He scrambled upright, eyes locking onto the figure approaching the cell. Clad in crimson robes with a twisted expression of righteous fury, the man could only be an Inquisitor.
”It seems you feel no remorse for your crimes. Guiding monsters, spreading lies… And on top of that, you were caught stealing during the artifact inspection. A disgraceful rogue!”
The Inquisitor’s accusations came like a slap, and the prisoner shot back instinctively.
”Wait! Inquisitor! There’s been a mistake! I swear, I’m not lying! I didn’t steal anything!”
His thoughts raced. Could this all be because of that item from the forgotten hamlet? He had assumed it was abandoned…
”Shut up, you rogue!” the Inquisitor snarled. “You think I’ll fall for that tired excuse? Criminals like you always shout, ‘I don’t remember!’ in hopes of leniency. Pathetic! But this time, there’s evidence!”
With theatrical flair, the Inquisitor pulled something from his sleeve and held it high.
”Look! This refined embroidery, this advanced stitching—it’s the craftsmanship of nobility! You thought it was valuable and stole it! But your mistake was keeping it!”
”No! That’s my school uniform!” the prisoner burst out, his voice cracking with disbelief. “That’s mine! Personal property! Please—return it!”
It was ridiculous, surreal—his uniform, evidence of a crime? The entire situation defied reason.
”Silence!” the Inquisitor snapped. “For someone like you, indistinguishable from the common rabble, to own such luxury—it’s suspicious beyond measure. Know this: there is no escape for you.”
”Damn it… They’re not even listening…” the prisoner muttered, helpless.
The Inquisitor cast one final sneer and turned, his footsteps echoing ominously as he left the corridor behind.
”That’s ridiculous… It’s impossible… This can’t be happening…” the prisoner whispered.
His words echoed back at him, swallowed by the silence of the stone cell.
* * *
Roughly a week had passed since his imprisonment.
In that time, he’d learned a few things—chief among them, the food here wasn’t as bad as he’d expected. The bread, while often moldy, was still edible if he scraped off the green fuzz. And although the soup was mostly hot water, it sometimes had a few potato-like chunks floating in it.
He had imagined something far worse—being starved, forced to eat bugs, or even left to rot.
Instead, they brought meals. Consistently.
He’d almost been grateful.
But later, he would come to understand the real reason they were feeding him…
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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